Bamacross #2 - Tuscaloosa

:)

Bamacross #2 was hosted by the Tuscaloosa Velocity Pro Cycle at Sokol Park. The weather was a little cool at the start with a north-east wind. The sun was bright and it quickly warmed-up, but remained pleasant. Jeff Dorminey and Carl Viars represented Cycle Escape with about 8 riders from Chain Reaction. Jeff D. raced in the Masters' 45+ and if that wasn't enough he also race in the B race. Two 45 minute races in one day is a big chore. Jeff placed 4th in the Masters' 45+, he was racing against some of the best riders in the state. I raced in the C's and barely managed 13th out of 18, barely meaning it was a sprint finish with some guy from GCC. It was a fun course and of course an opportunity to work yourself over.
Jeff and I will attest that cyclocross is the most enjoyable of the cycling races.

Next week is the Chain Reaction Cyclocross race at Cooter's Pond Park.

Race Report AOS by Carl

The 2007 Attack on Swayback turned out to be an exceptional event on a most beautiful day. The crowd seemed large and the trial was in super shape. I was really nervous for some unknown reason...more than likely performance anxiety. Being in the beginner 50+ class is not particularly worrisome with such a small field of old slow guys. Regardless, I still want to try my best and put forth a respectable effort. I always have a goal of trying to do a little better each time I race. I felt like I was off to a good start, got hung up with a few crashes in front of me, trying to keep moving as fast as I could and still maintain control. Some where around 3-4 miles my rear triangle bolt came loose forcing me to stop several times and go real slow. It took me a while to figure out what the problem was, which I did just prior to the sharp right to climb to the zipper. I thought about abandoning, but at the last minute I changed my mind and headed up to the zipper. Just prior to starting down the zipper I stopped to see if the bold had fell out and a guy stopped and lent me an allen wrench. After securing the bolt, I kicked it in gear and tried to make up for lost time (remember it's me). The remainder of the race was fun and stress free. I finished in 49 minutes, which was my time last year. That was comforting, I felt despite the mechanical issue I still made better time than last year. Despite that I placed 3rd in the beginner 50+ (out of 4).